Understanding the Big Emotional Superpowers That Drive People to Buy
The Top Emotions That Drive Your Guys to Buy
Ever wondered why they tell you “only one left” of a certain size of the product you’re browsing online? Are they being nice and offering you helpful information? Well yes, but more importantly, they are creating a sense of urgency in your mind about making a purchase. You are more likely to buy something you want right now if you think that it’s going to be unavailable soon. This also makes you think that if so many people already bought this product, it must be good. This is you being guided to make a purchase by targeting your emotions. This is also a brand that knows what drives their guys to buy.
Emotions guide buying choices.
Think about the last time you went to a restaurant and the tip you left your server. What made you decide what tip to leave? Being especially attentive, putting a smiley on the check, or even the exchange of names can make a difference. If that server makes you feel special and welcome you also want to make them feel nice by leaving a larger tip. That is a simple example of reciprocity that brands will often use, such as when they offer a discount or free gift with a larger purchase and so on.
Sometimes, brands can engage buyer emotions with the help of just a simple, direct statement of purpose or action. For instance, they tell us about the “five-hour energy drink.” It is simple, direct, and clear so that we want to grab one on the way to the gym. McDonald’s tells us that they’ve served one billion people so we think, well one billion people can’t be wrong. So, why not make the choice that so many others did. Brands have to be able to harness the particular emotion that guides their buying choices and help people make up their minds about buying X and not Y.
FOMO is a powerful motivator.
The Fear of Missing Out or FOMO is a prime motivator, like the shirt-buying example I started with. They tell you the shirt will sell out so you buy it today rather than wait to buy it for some special occasion. Netflix says this movie is going offline from tomorrow so you take the time to watch it today. A trendy teen will buy an app on the app store because all of their other friends are using it. People tweet with a trending hashtag because they want to join in the conversation around a hot button topic.
All of these behaviors are guided by that fear of missing out. This is why brands innovate quickly to keep pace with newer tech or something trending on social media or create that sense of urgency to successfully guide buying behavior. Then there are other emotions such as the need for safety, the attraction of greater comfort, or time-saving that effectively guide buying choices. Brands that cater to these needs are satisfying not only a practical requirement but also the emotional needs of their target audience. Tune in to this episode of Inspiration to Millions to know more about what guides your guys to buy, so you can partner with them in shaping their greater future, their destiny.